Eating a cup of fruit salad at dinner supports a good night’s sleep. Vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, and copper in fruits play a beneficial role in sleep.
However, it’s beneficial to include a variety of fruits in your salad. Adding fruits high in protein, omega-3s, tryptophan, vitamin E, carotenoids, melatonin, anthocyanins, resveratrol, and other antioxidants compounds contributes to better sleep.
A fruit salad before bed is good for sleep, as it hydrates the body
Firstly, a fruit salad for dinner supports a good night’s sleep because it hydrates the body.
Fruits hydrate the body, as most of them are between 80 and 92% water. A cup of fruit salad provides about 140 ml of water.
In fact, fruits hydrate the body better than tap water! They contain electrolytes as well. Daily replenishment of electrolytes is crucial for proper hydration.
Furthermore, fruits are natural water filters. They contain high-quality, purified water.
Proper hydration is essential for sleep and good health. Inadequate hydration may cause short sleep duration!
Fiber plays a beneficial role in sleep
Additionally, a fruit salad is particularly high in fiber. It has about 3.8 grams of fiber. This dose is 14% of the Daily Value!
High fiber intake at dinner reduces cravings for fattening food. Eating light before bed is vital for better sleep.
After all, a diet high in fiber has been associated with better sleep quality with fewer arousals.[1]
Fiber is necessary for a healthy gut microbiota. It regulates the synthesis of key sleep hormones, like serotonin! Eating foods rich in probiotics is also important for its proper function. So, one of the best foods you can consume at dinner for a good night’s sleep is kefir!
Vitamin C for a good night’s sleep
Most noteworthy, a cup of fruit salad before bed could skyrocket our daily vitamin C intake. Most fruits are excellent dietary sources of vitamin C.
For instance, just a serving of orange, grapefruit, pineapple, kiwi, or mango contains 40-60% of the Daily Value of vitamin C!
Vitamin C is essential for improved sleep quality. It plays a key role in increasing sleep duration, reducing sleep disturbances, and decreasing the dangerous effects of sleep apnea. It could prevent high cortisol or glucose levels induced by sleep deprivation.[2,3]
Potassium deficiency may cause insomnia
In addition, a fruit salad is packed with potassium. A cup provides up to 24% of the Daily Value!
Adequate amounts of potassium are necessary for improved sleep quality.[4]
However, people who follow modern Western diets consume significantly less potassium than the recommended daily intake.
So, start consuming more foods with potassium like fruits, if you have sleeping problems.
Magnesium in fruit salad enhances sleep
Moreover, a fruit salad provides decent amounts of magnesium. It provides about 5% of the Daily Value.
It’s essential to get adequate amounts of magnesium from diet. It affects sleep onset latency, snoring, sleep duration, early morning awakening, and daytime falling asleep.[5]
In order to boost your magnesium intake, you should add at least one of the three richest fruits in magnesium to your fruit salad. Those are banana, avocado, and kiwi.
Also, you could add to your favorite fruit salad a handful of almonds, walnuts, or any other nuts and seeds. Most nuts and seeds are packed with magnesium.
Copper before bed for better sleep
Additionally, a fruit salad before bed may promote a good night’s sleep because it’s high in copper. Copper is an important trace mineral for sleep.[6]
A cup of fruit salad provides around 10% of the recommended daily intake.
Kiwis and grapes are the richest common fruits in copper.
How to prepare the best fruit salad for a good night’s sleep?
Eating a fruit salad at dinner has beneficial effects on sleep. But, what are the most suitable fruits for dinner? It’s important to follow 8 simple tips to prepare the ultimate fruit salad for a good night’s sleep.
Eat fruits with vitamin E
Firstly, it’s important to add fruits high in vitamin E to your favorite late-night fruit salad.
Vitamin E may improve sleep quality. In fact, according to recent studies, vitamin E could be a great alternative treatment for chronic insomnia![7]
The richest fruits in vitamin E are avocado, kiwi, mango, pear, and cranberry! They provide 5-11% of the Daily Value per serving.
Also, you could add almonds or sunflower seeds to your fruit salad. These are two of the richest vegan foods in vitamin E.
Eat berries at dinner
Berries are among the best fruits you can eat. They’re low in sugar, while they’re packed with powerful antioxidant compounds, such as anthocyanins and resveratrol.
Among many other health benefits, these compounds have potent neuroprotective properties. They help prevent sleep deprivation-induced problems, such as anxiety, and obesity.
Berries, grapes, and peanuts are by far the richest foods in resveratrol.
Prepare a salad with fruits high in melatonin
Above all, you should add fruits high in melatonin to your favorite fruit salad. Melatonin is a hormone, which regulates sleeping patterns.
They body synthesizes small amounts at night. But, we can get high doses from diet.
Among the richest foods in melatonin are cranberries, cherries, apples, bananas, and strawberries!
As a rule of thumb, eat at least one of these fruits at dinner.
Eat fruits with carotenoids before bed
Additionally, it’s a good idea to consume fruits and other foods with carotenoids at dinner. Among many other health benefits, carotenoids appear to improve sleep quality. Their beneficial effects on sleep and overall health are mainly due to their anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties.[8]
Melon, mango, and pink papaya are high in beta-carotene.
Avocado, orange, kiwi, and cranberry are particularly high in lutein and zeaxanthin.
Watermelon is the richest fruit in lycopene. Pink grapefruit contains decent amounts as well.
You can skyrocket your daily carotenoid intake by taking moringa powder.
Also, you can boost your daily intake of lycopene by consuming sun-dried tomatoes and tomato paste. These are the richest common foods in lycopene!
However, the best time of the day to get carotenoids is in the morning. They protect the skin and eyes from sun radiation and air pollution. Thus, it’s good for you to eat a cup of fruit salad at breakfast. It also supports weight loss!
Don’t eat dried fruits before bed
However, it’s important to avoid consuming a fruit salad at night with dried fruits. Dried fruits are packed with sugar and calories. For instance, dried papaya has 150% more sugar than the fresh fruit.
Too much added sugar at dinner can cause poor sleep quality and short sleep.[9]
Also, you should avoid drinking fruit juices before bedtime.
Actually, the best time of the day to eat sugar is right after exercise. In fact, a cup of fruit salad as a post-workout snack supports muscle recovery! It’s good for elite and amateur athletes.
Eat a fruit salad with protein!
It’s beneficial to eat a fruit salad with some protein at dinner.
Protein in combination with fiber promote satiety. They regulate total energy intake, supporting weight loss.
In addition, diets high in protein have been linked to better sleep quality!
Avocado is the only common fruit containing high amounts of protein.
Also, you could sprinkle soaked hemp seeds on your fruit salad. Hemp seeds are high in protein. Most noteworthy, they’re among the few vegan sources of complete protein!
Certainly, you could add some yogurt to your fruit salad. Greek yogurt is one of the best foods to eat at dinner for better sleep. It’s packed with compounds that stimulate the synthesis of sleep hormones.
Add foods high in omega-3s to your favorite fruit salad
Furthermore, a healthy fruit salad that supports a good night’s sleep should be high in omega-3s.
A diet with adequate amounts of omega-3s has been associated with health sleep duration.[10]
But, there are only a few foods high in omega-3s. Avocado is one of them. Actually, avocado is the only fruit high in omega-3s!
However, you could skyrocket your daily intake of omega-3 fatty acid by sprinkling certain seeds on your favorite late-night snack.
You need Tryptophan at dinner
Last, but not least, consuming foods high in tryptophan before bed is beneficial for sleep. This amino acid is key for improving sleep onset latency and total sleep quality.
Oats, tuna, milk, cheese, as well as certain seeds and nuts, are excellent dietary sources of tryptophan.
Apple and banana contain some tryptophan as well. You should add at least one of them to your fruit salad.
One of the richest late-night snacks in tryptophan is the turkey sandwich, though. A serving can provide more than the recommended daily intake of tryptophan! A turkey sandwich for dinner supports sleep quality and duration!
How long before bed should I eat a fruit salad?
Above all, you shouldn’t have dinner right before bed. Mealtime plays a key role in sleep.
Eating right before bedtime is a risk factor for nocturnal awakenings and disrupted sleep.[11]
It’s highly recommended having dinner at least 2–3 hours before bed.
Moreover, eating right before bed significantly increases the rick of obesity. On the other hand, eating a cup of fruit salad a couple of hours before bedtime is good for weight loss.
